By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–In a surprise announcement at the end of Monday night’s Henry County Commission meeting, County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway reported that he has thrown his hat in the ring for the position of President of TCAT Henry and Carroll Counties.
He also announced that TDOT gave him the official word that the Hwy. 641N from the stateline to Puryear will be a five-lane highway as originally promised. He said Nicole Lawrence, TDOT Communications Director, told him he had permission to make the announcement at Monday’s meeting. “You can sing it from the rooftops,” she said. “This is great news for Henry County.”
Ridgeway said TCAT President Willie Huffman has announced he is retiring sooner than expected and he was notified of the job opening. Ridgeway reminded everyone that he had come from TCAT before running for County Mayor and is familiar with the position.
“Willie was expected to retire in 2026,” Ridgeway said, “so that was unexpected. But I came from the TCAT world and this is my home–Henry County. I love being mayor, but TCAT President is the only job I would leave this for that I wouldn’t have to move away.”
Ridgeway has been notified he is one of three finalists for the position. The timing, although unexpected, is good, with TCAT set to get a new building in Paris and expansion in McKenzie.
If he gets the position, he would know in the spring, he said. He also said if he doesn’t get the job, he wi be running again for County Mayor in 2026. “I love this job. I feel a real passion for it and a calling for it,” he said.
As for the TDOT announcement, Ridgeway said he was notified earlier Monday that the five-lane has been approved and is in the 10-year plan for Henry County. “Everyone knows how hard we worked for this and now we’re finally on the way,” he said.
He thanked the local representatives Rep. Jay Reedy and Rep. Tandy Darby for their work toward achieving the gial. He said construction would begin in 2026.
At a very busy meeting Monday night:
–Ridgeway said the county is moving forward with construction of a new health department. It was announced in May that thanks to a $2.25M award from the state, Henry County will be constructing a new Health Department within the next couple of years. “We’ll be closing on the new property and designers are working on plans,” he said.
–Henry County Clerk and Master Albert Wade announced that the county has received a $119,968 grant to upgrade courthouse security. “It’s a 100 percent grant with no county match and it will allow us to do a lot of things. It will allow us to updgrade our security, expand our cameras, expand our panic button alert system, radios, magnetometers” as well as more tasers, new hand held metal detectors, and facility improvements for visitor screening and transport of inmates, Wade said.
Wade thanked Ridgeway, Chancellor Vicki Hoover, Sheriff Josh Frey, and Sgt. Ricky Wade for their hard work.
Commissioner David Webb said he could not approve a plan that included any alterations to the exterior of the buiding. Wade said the design was put before the State Historical Commission and “they said it woud not affect the historical value. It won’t change the ook of the buiding that much.”
Ridgeway noted that the courthouse is the oldest working courthouse in West Tennessee and since COVID shut down a couple of courthouses elsewhere, at this point the Henry Co. courthouse may be the oldest working courthouse in the entire state.
He thanked Wade for his hard work, noting that Wade was the first to submit an application for the funds.
–Paris-Henry County Industrial Committee Director Rob Goad reported on the progress of the county Industrial Park, which is located on Hwy. 218. Thanks to a 90/10 state grant, work is beginning on the site, with Delta getting the contract for road deveopment.
He presented commissioners with cost estimates of construction and conceptual exhibits and said he is available to take them to the site.
–The commission unanimously approved a resoution urging the General Assembly to amd a Private Act to permit the sale or lease of the Henry County Healthcare Center. Again, Ridgeway thanked Reedy and Darby on their work to push this through, saying it needed to be done immediately so that it could go through necessary channels to allow the hospital board to sell the healthcare faciity before June.
Photo: County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway, center, makes his announcement at the end of the meeting, flanked by County Clerk Donna Craig and County Attorney Rob Whitfield. Shannon McFarlin photo.